Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in Danny Boyle’s The Beach finds his way to Maya Bay – a beautiful part of Thailand which is now overwhelmed by tourists for much of the year
Holidaymakers are finding beauty in quieter patches of coastline after over-tourism has killed much of what made Thailand’s most famous beach so sought after.
“I just feel like everyone tries to do something different, but you always wind up doing the same damn thing,” exclaims Leonardo DiCaprio’s character in Danny Boyle’s The Beach. His words are prophetic in both the film and real life.
The success of the movie would sound a death knell for the pristine, idyllic beach that gives the flick its name. More and more people travelled to Maya Bay where it was shot, to bask in its impossibly blue waters and sunbathe on the golden sands.
Today the reality of the Thai destination could not be further from the slice of paradise at the heart of the film. Boats are banned from motoring into the bay as their presence was cluttering up the waters and chasing away the 40 blacktip reef sharks who usually cruise there out of the cyan shallows.
Tourists must buy a 400baht (£8) ticket to step onto the beach, only to be shepherded out again after an hour. Swimming is banned to protect the fragile reef system there. Officials decided to shut the bay – on Phi Phi Leh island in the Andaman Sea – first for four months and then several years from 2018, it finally opening up again in 2022.
One recent visitor to Maya Bay likened it to “Times Square in New York”, such is the hustle, bustle and density of the crowds found there.
Those who want to experience the beauty of a part of a world which is unrivalled in terms of the vibrancy of its coastline, while also being responsible, sustainable tourists, are unlikely to find what they’re looking for in Maya Bay.
“Right now you just walk around, you take the photos, then you have to leave. Everyone wants to see the beach from the Dicaprio film. It is beautiful, I can’t deny, but there are too many people,” Jub Yata, a destination manager at Intrepid Travel – a firm which specialises in sustainable tourism – told the Mirror.
Jub’s challenge is to channel the extreme enthusiasm that holidaymakers have for places like Maya Bay into other parts of Thailand in a way that doesn’t overwhelm them in turn. While she admits that the iconic beach is “quite perfect”, the three other destinations Intrepid holidaymakers are taken to instead are arguably equally beautiful. They are Koh Thap, Koh Poda and Koh Khai.
Koh Thap is one of the most popular offshore islands around Krabi – a region in the west of Thailand, just across from Phuket. Most island hopping tours come here to witness and photograph the amazing parting of the seas.
At low tide a stretch of sand emerges from the waters, linking the larger landmass known as Chicken Island to Koh Mor and Koh Thap. The phenomenon is commonly referred to as Talay Waek which means divided sea.
The beach there is beautiful and the waters that surround it provide an excellent spot for snorkelling with an abundance of tropical fish. It is wise to wear shoes when walking between the islands as the ground beneath can be sharp and rocky. Jellyfish and surprisingly big waves are worth watching out for.
Recently travel blogger Globe Trotter Girls wrote about her experience of trying to find the dream Thai beach experience, only to be disappointed time and time again. Maya Bay was far too busy, the sea off Railay was filled full of boats chugging fumes into the air and the beach at Ao Nang smelt of sewage.
After much searching, “finally, when I least expected it, there it was” in the form of Koh Poda. “The Thai island paradise I had dreamed of. Crystal clear water and wide, white deserted sand beaches,” the blogger wrote.
Once you’ve paid the 400 baht fee to get dropped onto the island and you’ve walked away from the crowds of people who stand in throngs around the port, Koh Poda is far quieter and more tranquil than over similarly beautiful areas. In fact, the intrepid traveller said that the island “felt like a completely deserted Robinson Crusoe island”. They did note that Koh Poda – like many islands to the west of Thailand’s coastline – bore the scars of the Boxing Day tsunami.
Meanwhile Koh Khai in Phuket is the most built up and well visited of the three Intrepid includes in its tour. Made up of three small islands – Khai Nok, Khai Nai and Khai Nui – it is easy to hop from one island to the next, even in the space of just half a day. Khai Nai is the biggest of the three and has spectacular views and a white sandy beach which makes it perfect for snorkelling and swimming.
Khai Nui is the smallest and has spectacular coral reefs, whereas Koh Khai Nok, boasts a decent number of restaurants and kiosks.
When taking visitors to the islands, Jub and her crew attempt to do so as sustainably as possible. That means travelling in small groups so as not to crowd out others and exploring the waters on kayaks rather than motorboats, in a bid to produce less emissions and noise pollution.
They always team up with an independent guide to ensure more money is fed into the local economy and arrange trips that encourage as much interaction with members of the community as possible.
“We make sure to buy their food and their herbal tea. During another trip (on mainland Thailand), we take people cycling to farms, pick up ingredients, and then learn to cook that food,” Jub explained.
You can find out more about the tours on intrepidtravel.com.
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